WAYNESVILLE, Ohio — The popular Renaissance Festival in Waynesville is always a spectacle every weekend between Labor Day and the end of October, but because of the pandemic, festival goers feared the event would be cancelled.
Instead, several mini Renaissance Festival were scheduled to accommodate fewer people.
What You Need To Know
- Instead of several weekends of festivities, the festival planned four day events.
- Crowds were limited to 1500 people, compared to the typical 10,000 or more people
- The festival has two more days left this season, October 10 and 17.
Some say the Renaissance Festival is Ohio’s greatest hidden gem.
“It’s like Disney World up in Ohio,” Kathleen Angerbauer a festival goer said. “Just everyone buys into it, not just the cast members and people who work here but if you’re not dressed up here and just visiting and you’re wearing just your street clothes, you’re really the one who’s standing out.”
And it truly is an event to remember. Between Fire breathers, royalty and intense costumes, thousands look forward to it every year. But when the pandemic hit, the festival announced it would have to cancel. Until organizers came up with the idea of Magical Days and Madrigal Knights — four one-day events with only 1,500 people allowed on the grounds.
“This definitely brings a sense of normalcy to everything,” Angerbauer said. “I’m super grateful for the efforts that they’re putting in to social distance and still make everyone feel safe.”
“I have missed them so much and of course the magic is nothing without the people who come with us,” The Queen, a cast member said.
And for some, the festival is even more special, especially when moments like this happen.
That’s because four year old Mila has optic nerve dysplasi,- which means she can’t see. So, when she had the opportunity to meet the queen and feel her costume and jewelry, it was a moment that brought her grandmother to tears.
“Priceless,” Jennifer Mitchell, Mila’s grandmother said. “Yeah. Just for her to feel the different textures and the bells, those are priceless moments.”
It’s moments like these that make people continue to come back year after year.
“It’s wonderful, like what they do for all of us,” Mitchell said. “It helps you escape a little bit of the hum dum of life. It’s great for her to get out and have these types of experiences.”
The festival will have two more opportunities for the small-scale events Oct. 10 and 17. People are encouraged to buy tickets ahead of time online.
